Summer Newsletter 2017

From the desk of CEO, Annemarie Rolls

Dear Friends,

Our focus in the time since our last newsletter been on our core purpose; the selection of our new cohort of Scholars. Following a total of 100 State panel interviews and 40 National Panel interviews we have awarded 18 scholarships to a group of inspiring scholars. We are delighted to introduce the 2018 John Monash Scholars. Their citations follow so you can begin to understand what makes them so special.

The Announcement Ceremony on 30th November was a joyful occasion as always. It was particularly special this year to have Professor Dame Marie Bashir AD CV with us to receive her life membership of the Foundation. Her thoughtful speech exhibited extraordinary energy and charm. Our event was Professor Dame Marie’s fourth function of the day and we thank her for her generous commitment to the Foundation and remarkable fortitude.

As we wrap up another productive year, I want to say how grateful we are for the support we receive from our supporters, volunteers and hard-working board. I am particularly thankful to the team who keep the cogs moving in the office, a relentlessly busy place and our wonderful scholars, who inspire us each day. I would like to say a special thanks to Dr Mark Schembri (2009 Scholar and Board Director) and Dr Amy McLellan (2009 Scholar) who are giving back so much as they lead the Alumni Committee and will be driving the Alumni Community engagement in the future. Amy is busy designing the New York Symposium which will run on the 15th and 16th March 2018. This global symposium builds upon similar events previous held in Brussels, Oxford and Australia.

This Symposium commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Hamel, a particularly significant event in Australian history and leadership. The American location is a reminder of this celebrated moment when General Sir John Monash commanded both Australian and US troops and the strong collaboration between the US and Australia in WW1. We look forward to working with our friends the American Australian Association on this event.

Our Annual Report for the 2016-2017 financial year has been published and is available online here.

Thank you for your interest in our work and the scholars we support. We wish you all the very best for a restful and joyful holiday season and a wonderful 2018.

Warm regards,

The Announcement of the 2018 John Monash Scholars

The Announcement of the 2018 John Monash Scholars took place on 30 November at the Sydney Opera house. The event is always a highlight of the Foundation's calendar as we formally announce the newest John Monash Scholars. This year, we were delighted to introduce our 18 awardees. This exciting group of future leaders cover a vast array of disciplines and are all outstanding in their individual fields. The event was attended by over 150 friends and supporters of the Foundation. The new Scholars were announced and presented with a gift by a representative of their scholarship supporter. We are excited to welcome this new group and we will be sure to keep the Foundation community updated on all that they are achieving in the future. For more information on each of the 2018 scholars please read on below. More in depth citations are also kept up to date on our website here.

The 2017 John Monash Oration

The annual John Monash Oration took place on the 28th of August. The event was graciously sponsored and hosted by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in their beautiful Colonial Theatre, Sydney. The topic of the evening was: Leadership in Science - how it effects jobs of the future and energy security in Australia. We were delighted that the Chief Australian Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel AO was our keynote speaker for this year's event, and our very own Lara Olsen (2004 John Monash Scholar) gave the response. Both Dr Finkel and Lara spoke wonderfully, and gave insightful points on the need for strong leadership, reminiscent of John Monash himself, to pave the way for the future of Australia's energy sector. To read Dr Finkel's full keynote speech click here.

From the Field: Dr Kate Mitchell

This section of our Newsletter features Alumni reporting from the field with stories of their exploits and enterprises after study and scholarships have finished. This edition's 'From the Field' feature is 2013 John Monash Scholar, Dr Kate Mitchell (pictured below).

In August 2017, I moved to Canberra to commence my new role as a Principal Research Officer to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. Based at Parliament House and comprised of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the role of the Committee is to examine all proposed Australian laws for compatibility with international human rights law. As a member of the Committee’s secretariat, I work with a small team to advise Committee members about the international human rights implications of proposed laws, and otherwise support the Committee’s

work. Before I moved to Canberra, I worked for a Federal Court Judge in Sydney followed by a six- month stint in Paris for an international law firm specialising in public international law and international arbitration.

The John Monash scholarship generously supported my DPhil in Law studies in Oxford from 2013-2016, where my research focussed on the right of States to legislate public welfare and human rights reform in light of their (often competing) obligations to protect foreign investment. The task of undertaking a doctorate was an intellectually rigorous one, requiring me to consider the law through a wide lens and equipping me with skills I now employ every day in advising the Committee on human rights.

Admittedly, the DPhil sometimes felt like trying to connect fragments of a disjointed puzzle: initially very scattered with lots of blank spaces, trial and error, moments of sheepishness upon realising that I was assembling the puzzle upside down and had dropped half of the pieces under the couch, and the burst of satisfaction when the fragments finally start to connect. Along the way, the community of John Monash Scholars that I was fortunate enough to befriend throughout my studies provided a constant source of support, encouragement, and friendship. More broadly, the opportunity to undertake my studies as a John Monash Scholar has given me confidence to be less risk-averse with my career choices, to follow my gut instinct, and pursue things that I am passionate about. I am not sure I would have been able to traverse the long and frequently unwieldy doctoral pathway (not to mention the move back to Australia after several years living overseas) without the support of the John Monash family. The community of young Australians that proudly call themselves John Monash Scholars is so diverse and they have exposed me to a breadth and depth of different disciplines and issues; I am constantly inspired by my fellow scholars and it is a privilege to be part of this community.

From the Start: Brett Parkinson

'From the Start' is our newsletter piece that features a regular entry from a John Monash Scholar on the first part of their journey abroad since being awarded their Scholarship. 2017 John Monash Scholar Brett Parkinson (Pictured below with Woodside Energy CEO Theo Anderson) arrived at Imperial College in London in October to begin his DPhil in Engineering Science. Read on for Brett's first impressions of Imperial College.

For years I’ve seen friend after friend pack their bags and move to the United Kingdom (or ‘the Motherland’ as they joke) to undertake a two-year stint of ‘the London life’. I always thought to myself, why would you move to UK, isn’t their weather horribly cold and constantly raining? This was also at a time when never in my wildest dreams would I have believed someone if they told me I’d be doing a PhD at Imperial College London. But here I am, a few years later conversing with brilliant scientific minds about blue-sky game-changer energy technologies at one of the top technical institutes in the world, all thanks to John Monash Foundation and Woodside Energy; and I have to say, apart from the weather, London doesn’t disappoint.

It got off to a rocky start after arriving in Heathrow from a 2-month backpacking expedition through Central America and the airline losing my bag. I was a walking laugh, a freshly tanned 6-foot-3 Australian wearing sandals, shorts and singlet with a camera strap over his shoulder on the London tube. But after that (and purchasing some warmer clothes), I got right down to work and settling into life in the UK. The chemical engineering department at ICL doesn’t muck around, and within the first week I was knee deep in safety inductions, experimental talks and theoretical debates about the future of the energy landscape. I’m now approaching the end of month two and I’ve finished constructing an experimental rig to handle 1000-degree molten salts and am presenting at a national hydrogen research conference in Scotland in early December. If this is any indication of the pace of the next 3 years, it’s going to be a hell of a ride.

Outside of the university walls, I’ve been lucky enough to be reunited with my beautiful partner Samar who had been here for 6 months before my arrival. We’ve found a nice place in Brixton together and are enjoying the never-ending string of events, gigs and general nightlife that only a city like London and a place like Brixton can offer. I don’t know where the next 3 years will take us, or what is lying around the corner, but I’m excited for what this opportunity holds. But for now, I’m going to have to do my best to settle indoors, Winter is coming.

John Monash Scholars in the News

Dr Catherine StubberfieldThe Closure of Manus Detention Centre

Dr Catherine Stubberfield is a 2010 John Monash Scholar and an External Relations Officer for the UNHCR. Catherine has been at the forefront of the controversy around the closure of Manus Detention Centre. In an interview with the ABC Catherine said that "Care and genuine dialogue is what is needed".

Sarah Lux-Lee is the founder of Mindr, an app designed to make meet ups, lectures and workshops that are baby friendly. Earlier in December, Sarah was awarded third prize in the JCA Jumpstart competition, the prize of $5000 will go toward expanding her work with Mindr.

Read Sarah's full TEDx Talk here, footage of the talk will be made available once published by TEDx. Further information on the announcement of the JCA Jumpstart Competition winners are available here.

2009 Dr James Daniell is the Senior Risk Modeller for the Centre for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology (CEDIM), a Senior Disaster Analyst at the World Bank and a Lecturer and Doctoral Supervisor at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. James was a guest on Al Jazeera News, brought on to discuss how countries can cope with the costs of a natural disaster. The interview was held in light of Hurricane Harvey and its devastating effects across Mexico.

Picture: James during his interview with Aljazeera News. Picture courtesy of Aljazeera.com

The 2018 John Monash Scholars

Over 300 applications submitted, 100 state panel interviews, 40 national panel interviews - this is the journey that the Foundation undertakes to find our Scholars. We are delighted to introduce the 18 new Scholars announced for 2018!

Nicola Bilton

2018 BHP John Monash Scholar

PHD IN QUANTUM PHYSICS, IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON

Nicola has a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Laser physics and Technology from the University of Adelaide and was awarded the University Medal. At Imperial College she will work on the development of a cutting-edge quantum accelerometer, a component of next generation navigational systems. She intends to return to her current employer, Defence Science and Technology Group, to use quantum sensing technologies in next generation technology.

Amy Burton

2018 Zelman Cowen John Monash Scholar

MASTER IN LAWS IN PUBLIC INTEREST AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY

Amy has a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and Bachelor of Laws with Honours from Monash University. She works at Salvos Legal Humanitarian and was recently announced as the 2017 Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year at the Women in Law Awards. At Berkeley she will research the growing use of social enterprise law firms to improve access to justice for individuals who are not eligible for legal aid but cannot afford a private lawyer. Amy then plans to develop and launch a similar program in Australia, which she hopes will also increase employment opportunities for graduate lawyers who aspire to work in humanitarian law.

James Campbell

2018 Victorian Government John Monash Scholar

MASTER OF LAWS IN PUBLIC INTEREST AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY

James has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws with Honours from Monash University and was awarded the University Medal and the Supreme Court Prize for the highest achieving Law student. He is a lawyer at King & Wood Mallesons, Melbourne. At Berkeley James will specialise in community legal practice and policy development. He will examine how the Australian community legal sector can harness new technologies to provide access to justice for Australians most in need. James has significant leadership experience as Convenor of the LGBTI organisation, Minus18

Ryan Carters

2018 Roth/Segal Harvard John Monash Scholar

MASTER OF PUBLIC POLICY, JOHN F. KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT, HARVARD UNIVERSITY

2012 John Monash Scholar and Grattan Institute Associate, Kate Griffiths was interviewed in a Grattan Institute Podcast in July.

Ryan was an award winning professional cricketer who left the sport to focus on his Economics degree at the University of Sydney and leadership of the charity he founded, Batting for Change. This charity supports educational opportunities for young women living in poverty in the developing, cricket playing world. Ryan hopes postgraduate study will give him the skills and experience to consolidate a career in policy and public service. He intends to address inequality, including economic growth and gender equity. Ryan is particularly committed to addressing critical issues of domestic violence, the gender pay gap, the paucity of women in leadership and inadequate childcare.

Emma Dale

2018 Chairman's Circle John Monash Scholar

DPHIL IN ZOOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

2012 John Monash Scholar and Grattan Institute Associate, Kate Griffiths was interviewed in a Grattan Institute Podcast in July.

Emma has a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Conservation with Honours and a University Medal from Griffith University. After working with endangered Red Pandas in Nepal, Emma founded the Red Panda Trust, a conservation venture. She then worked as an ecologist for the Zoological Society of London in Mongolia for fourteen months. At Oxford she will study the behavioural ecology of carnivores with a focus on conservation and preservation. Emma plans to return to Australia to lead research initiatives to protect Australia’s carnivores, including the Tasmanian Devil and Spotted-tail Quolls. These native Australian animals play a vital role in Australia’s food chains and their extinction would unbalance supporting populations with serious implications for Australian ecology.

Felix Donovan

2018 Roden Cutler John Monash Scholar

MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS

2012 John Monash Scholar and Grattan Institute Associate, Kate Griffiths was interviewed in a Grattan Institute Podcast in July.

Felix has a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and the University Medal in Government from the University of Sydney. While at university Felix coordinated the academic assistance program at Matraville High School and was a Director of Communications for the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance Summit. He works in the NSW State Department of Education as the Manager of Data and Insight, developing evidence-based early childhood education policy. His study at the London School of Economics will enable him to lead education policy in the future.

Amy Dennison
2018 Woodside John Monash Scholar

MASTER OF LAWS, HARVARD UNIVERSITY

2012 John Monash Scholar and Grattan Institute Associate, Kate Griffiths was interviewed in a Grattan Institute Podcast in July.

Amy has a Bachelor of Engineering with first class Honours, a University Medal and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales. She has a Master of Laws with a University Medal from the Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee, UK. She is Director Legislation and Policy in the Northern Territory Government and a visiting Lecturer at Charles Darwin University Law School. Amy will specialise in energy and environmental policy to contribute to the development and implementation of policy and regulation in the Northern Territory.

Jordan English

2018 Zelman Cowen John Monash Scholar

BACHELOR OF CIVIL LAWS, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

Jordan has a Bachelor of Laws with first class Honours and the University Medal in Law and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland. He is currently an Associate to Justice Edelman of the High Court of Australia. He has experience and interest in anti-bribery, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws. As an Indigenous Australian, Jordan is committed to increasing Indigenous representation in the law, being a role model for other Indigenous Australians and positively influencing the perspectives of non-Indigenous Australians.

Steven Ettema

2018 Woodside John Monash Scholar

DPHIL IN ENGINEERING SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

Steven has a Bachelor of Civil Engineering with first class Honours from the University of Queensland. He works as a numerical modeler and coastal engineer at BMT Group (an engineering science and technology consultancy), providing engineering and scientific services on a range of projects. This has included modeling a wide variety of coastal systems to improve environmental outcomes, such as developing numerical models for how turtle hatchlings interact with the environment. Steven’s research at Oxford will focus on improvements to tidal and wind turbines by applying principles used in the aerospace industry. Steven aims to inform energy policy and further develop renewable energy technologies in Australia.

Major Nathan Johnson

2018 Pratt Foundation Commemorative Defence AAA John Monash Scholar

PHD ELECTRONIC AND CYBER WARFARE, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

Nathan is a military officer with a Bachelor of Science from the University of New South Wales and Master of Science in Military Electrical Systems Engineering from Cranfield University, UK. Nathan served in Special Operations Command in Afghanistan, lead multinational United Nations forces in South Sudan and provided technical support to the Australian Defence Force’s counter terrorism unit in Sydney. He is Project Manager for Army Headquarters in Canberra, leading a project to procure new Electronic Warfare technology for the Army. Nathan will research Cyber security as part of his PhD and anticipates a future leading the technical development of Cyber and Electronic technology for the Army.

Marianne Haines

2018 Origin Foundation John Monash Scholar

PHD GEOSCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY

Marianne has a Bachelor of Biological Science majoring in Microbiology and Biochemistry from La Trobe University. She is completing her Honours year. At the University of Calgary, she will specialise in energy bioengineering and photobioreactor systems. Her particular focus will be on developing biotechnology that harnesses and engineers micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae to develop a new source of sustainable energy. Marianne plans to work at the intersection of industry and academia.

Louis Klee

2018 Australian Cultural John Monash Scholar

PHD LITERATURE, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Louis has a Bachelor of Philosophy with Honours from the Australian National University, a Master of Fine Art in Writing for Performance from the University of Melbourne, and a Master of Philosophy from Cambridge University. He is an established playwright, poet and critic. At Cambridge he will specialise in the prose fiction of W.G Sebald. After the completion of his postgraduate study, Louis will contribute to Australian cultural life through an academic career and a life of public writing and criticism

Sonia Loudon

2018 Helen & Michael Gannon John Monash Scholar

MASTER OF EDUCATION POLICY AND MANAGEMENT, HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Sonia has a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and a Bachelor of Science from the Australian National University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching from the University of Melbourne. She is a Leading Teacher and Head of Science in a multi-campus secondary school in Epping, Victoria. She founded Boundless, a social enterprise that provides outer suburban and regional students with access to professional work experience placements. Her studies will help her develop a model for effective education in disadvantaged communities. Sonia’s goal is to reverse the widening inequality and segregation in the Australian school system.

Heather Muir

2018 Anzac Centenary John Monash Scholar

PHD IN SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Heather has a Bachelor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with Honours from the University of Queensland and graduated as Valedictorian. She has worked in engineering consulting, STEM education research and is currently doing an MPhil at the University of Cambridge. She will undertake her PhD at the Cambridge Centre for Scientific Computing, which is developing world leading computational methodologies across the sciences and collaborations between industry and research. Heather is also particularly committed to developing science teaching in Australia.

Brighid Sammon

2018 Susan & Isaac Wakil John Monash Scholar

MASTER OF SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

Brighid has a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning with Honours from RMIT University. She is a Senior Urban Planner at Hansen Partnership and 2017 Australian Young Planner of the Year. Her research will focus on effective, equitable, proactive and innovative housing. She hopes to impact the way Australians approach planning and design to contribute to a sustainable housing sector.

Ahmad Shah Idil

2018 Australian Universities' John Monash Scholar

PHD IN MEDICAL PHYSICS AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

Ahmad has a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics with First Class Honours and a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Linguistics from the University of New South Wales. He is currently a biomedical engineer with University College London, where he is designing the world’s first optogenetic cortical implant for the treatment of focal epilepsy. Prior to this, he worked with Bionic Vision Australia, the $50 million Australian research consortium developing a bionic eye. Through his PhD research Ahmad will continue to develop neural implant technologies to treat neurological medical conditions.

Dr Kevin Tan

2018 Susan & Isaac Wakil John Monash Scholar

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND INNOVATION IN HEALTHCARE, COPENHAGEN BUSINESS SCHOOL

Kevin completed his medical degree and holds an MBBS (Hons)/BMedSc from the University of Melbourne. He was also recently awarded a Master of Public Health through the University of Sydney, and spent a semester at Lund University, Sweden. He currently works as an advanced trainee and Chief Radiation Oncology Registrar at the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, the largest cancer hospital in Australia. During his training, Kevin developed an interest in cancer survivorship. While over 1 million Australians are living with or beyond their cancer diagnosis, many survivors continue to face unmet needs. These include elderly patients and long term survivors of childhood malignancies. At Copenhagen, Kevin will combine his medical knowledge with skills in economics, policy, innovation and design to tackle this public health challenge.

William Witheridge
2018 Commonwealth Bank of Australia John Monash Scholar

PHD ECONOMICS, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

Will holds a Bachelor of Economics with First Class Honours, a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Economics from the Australian National University. He works for the OECD Chief Economist conducting research on global economic challenges and policy recommendations for the G20. He was previously an economic policy adviser in the Australian Government Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, including for Australia's G20 Presidency in 2014. He will undertake a PhD in Economics with a special interest in macroeconomic policy. Will is passionate about improving Australian economic policy particularly through taxation reform and aims to be a senior economic adviser to Government.

John Monash Scholars moving on...

A busy few months for Professor Mark Dawson on his induction as a new Fellow of the Melbourne Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and winning the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia's Metcalf Prize - congratulations Mark! Dr Sarah Milne is on a research team that has been awarded an Australian Research Discovery Grant for their project looking at nature-society transformations in mainland Southeast Asia. Finalist for the NSW Visual Arts Emerging Scholarship, Fernando do Campo had his art work featured at Artspace in Wooloomooloo. Shevaun Wright has her art featured as a part of the 'Unfinished Business: Perspectives on Art and Feminism' Exhibition at ACCA (showing until the 23rd of March). Alexandra Readhead has been named in the Global Tax Top 50 for 2017! Click here to read Alexandra's profile in the international Tax Review. Brett Parkison won 1st place for a 3 minute thesis competition and presented on Hydrogen Production at the H2FC Supergen Conference in St Andrews, Scotland. We are always delighted by the camaraderie and friendships formed by our Scholar community, who support each other all over the world: our UK based Scholars caught up for their Christmas catch up in Oxford on the 10th of December and several of our New York based Scholars also had their annual Christmas get together on the 16th of December.

We love to hear your news. Please do let us know what you are doing and where you are in the world.